BLOG

Perspectives from a doer & donor catalyst.

Dig into our blog for free, practical advice to build your nonprofit or foundation brand — from the inside out.

We glean these insights through real-world engagements. Write our content with communications leaders and first-time CEOs in mind. And as a field builder, share our expertise widely to guide organizations on both sides of the grant.

Visual identity: a simple but complete guide.

It’s OK for nonprofits to be sexy. Since the human brain processes images faster than text, a glance at your visuals tells your audience much. But we’ve come to believe organizations can’t look too slick in the social sector. Let’s correct the score. Design is thinking made visual.

AI tools for nonprofit brands.

73% of marketers now use generative artificial intelligence (AI). For resource-strapped nonprofits, AI promises to revolutionize how we build brands. But most leaders only know ChatGPT. So we curated the 40 best platforms for your brand, from design to marcom.

Brand first, funding second.

Nonprofit leaders have countless necessary priorities. But funding isn’t #1. Because brand is strategy; fundraising is execution. And a foundation’s most valuable asset is not its money. Instead, brand is the best investment. A contrarian point of view. So let us try to convince you.

« Older Entries

An inside-out brand: the Four A’s framework.

Theory of change: brand ambition.

Positioning strategy: brand approach.

Marketing communications: amplify your brand.

Strategic planning: align your brand.

Pitch deck: it’s not as difficult as you think.

Nonprofits and social enterprises must get better at pitching… if they want to get better at fundraising… so they can get better at creating impact. The Mighty Ally pitch deck format is based on story arc best practices and our years of brand-building experience. Five sections, that’s it.

The power of problems.

When asked what you do, don’t actually start your pitch with what you do. Because a problem statement from your theory of change is the first, most powerful step in comms. People must understand the issue before caring about your mission. So hit them with the problem you solve, first.

The beginner’s guide to messaging & storytelling.

Social entrepreneurs are often incapable of explaining their work clearly. So we created a beginner’s guide to messaging and storytelling. What it is, why it matters, and how to create a platform. From elevator pitch to public narrative – see seven tools that drive clarity, confidence, and conversions.

Our new theory of change course on Acumen Academy.

Theory of Change for Brand Communications is an on-demand workshop based on our proprietary process. Led by Co-founder Evan Wanjiru. Developed for 1.2 million leaders in 193 countries. And free for you. Learn how to build a social venture brand from the inside out.

Why your website strategy is missing the mark.

A website is the most critical comms channel for any social venture. But it’s commonly a disastrous afterthought. Remember 1-3-5-7-9 for the elements that matter most: one call-to-action, three audience goals, five sitemap pages, seven homepage sections, $9,000 maximum budget.